prevailing
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prevailing
Dominant, most widespread, or most strongly developed. Describes a condition, opinion, or characteristic that dominates over others.
Die vorherrschende Windrichtung an der Küste ist West.
The prevailing wind direction on the coast is west.
'Vorherrschend' is the present participle of the verb 'vorherrschen'. This is made up of 'vor' (before/in front of) and 'herrschen' (to rule). Literally, it means that something 'rules before the others,' meaning it dominates.
Die vorherrschende Meinung war, dass der Plan zu riskant sei.
The prevailing opinion was that the plan was too risky.
This adjective can stand before a noun (attributive) as well as be used with the verb 'sein' (to be) (predicative). Both uses are very common.
Blau ist die vorherrschende Farbe in seiner neuen Wohnung.
Blue is the prevailing color in his new apartment.
'Vorherrschend' is often combined with abstract nouns to express dominance. Typical examples are 'die vorherrschende Meinung' (the prevailing opinion), 'die vorherrschende Stimmung' (the prevailing mood), 'die vorherrschende Mode' (the prevailing fashion), or 'die vorherrschende Ansicht' (the prevailing view).
Trotz einiger Kritik ist die vorherrschende Stimmung im Team positiv.
Despite some criticism, the prevailing mood in the team is positive.
predominantly
'überwiegend' and 'vorherrschend' can both express that something is stronger or more frequent than something else. 'überwiegend' usually means: for the most part. It is often used with quantities, groups, or proportions. 'vorherrschend' sounds a little more formal and emphasizes that an opinion, a condition, or a characteristic is dominant. The words can be confused because both describe a kind of majority. 'überwiegend' works well when you are counting or comparing; 'vorherrschend' is more suitable when something shapes the situation.
Nach der Besprechung war im Team eine vorherrschende Unsicherheit zu spüren.
After the meeting, a prevailing sense of uncertainty could be felt in the team.
Für das Projekt nutzen wir überwiegend einfache Programme.
For the project, we mainly use simple programs.